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Tuesday, May 24, 2011

My Interview, Being Approved and Getting My Visa!!...

As I got off the bus that took us from the plane to the airport to get our bags, I looked at my phone and saw an incoming call, I answered and to my surprise it was the US Embassy... The lady asked if I was in JHB and I said yes and that I had just landed. She then asked me if I was able to go for an interview at 13:00 pm!! I was like "WHAT!?". Elaine was waiting for me and I was walking to where the bags were, and so I asked if I could check with my friend that was picking me up first and then let her know. She said that would be fine. I immediately called my Mom and told her, she was also like "WHAT!?" (lol), and then I called Elaine from the baggage area and asked her if it was okay - I wasn't sure if she had made any plans for the day or not. She said that it was fine. I then started to freak out, but decided that I would call the lady back and tell her I would be able to be there at 13:00 pm. Which I did and she said in a happy voice, "I'll see you in a few hours".

As we walked to the car, I started freaking out even more, thinking to myself "am I ready for this", "what if I get asked this and don't know the answer" blah blah blah... We stopped off at Elaine's friend's place for Bible study and so I took in all my information and papers I had and started trying to remember every little detail of every little piece of information I thought they could ask me during the interview... After a while I calmed down, the ladies prayed for me and then it was time to leave for Elaine's place to get ready and head off to Sandton to get there in time.

We arrived at the Embassy at about 12:50pm, the doors only open at 13:00pm, so we had to sit and wait for a bit outside.

The US Embassy...

This is how my interview went :

Once 13:00pm came we were all asked to line up and the security guard looked at our appointment letters or asked people what they were there for if not an interview. They then allowed one person through the security building at a time. When I got in there I had to hand my phone in and put my bag through the scanner and was told to walk to the next building. I went through to the next building (my heart pounding with every step I took). I was told to go and sit near window 10. It took forever to get started, I was the only one getting interviewed, a lady that was there that I was talking too was picking up her visa to go and live with her son in America. At about 13:45 pm I was called up to window 10, the guy asked me to do fingerprints on the little machine there, and then asked for all the papers I had to fill out for them, I gave him those, then he asked if I had any evidence for him, which I did, I had to squash my filing carry case I had all the things in, under the glass and then gave him a few photo’s. He then asked how Dustin and I met, which I told him, and then he asked me when I plan on going, and I said I’m not sure will only know once I get the visa, then he smiled at me and said good going, LOL. He then asked me to sit down again and wait. This time I waited a long time and at about 15:05 pm, an officer came to window 11 and called me up. I went up with my heart pounding even faster than before. He asked me to put my index finger on the fingerprint machine, and then asked me to raise my right hand and swear that I would tell the truth, which I did :). He then asked me to tell him how Dustin and I met, and then asked what I plan to do when I get to America. I told him I’d get married, and he looked at me and smiled, and then I said I’d like to look for a job once I receive my EAD, and then he smiled and said good. He then kept quiet and went through some papers, because he kept quiet and was looking through some papers I thought I had maybe failed, but then he started writing on a green slip and asked me when I’m in JHB until, then I was like “oh man, he’s going to ask me for another interview”, I answered him, then he said would you like to organise courier or would you like to pick your visa up, because you have your visa and smiled at me. I was about to explode inside from keeping in my excitement and trying to remain calm, so that he didn’t think I was a complete freak, and told him I’d like to pick it up. So he gave me my green slip and told me to come back Friday to pick it up @ 2:00 pm.

I gathered all my things, walked outside the building with jelly legs to the security section to get my cell phone, and then walked outside to Elaine, shame she had been sitting there patiently the entire time, and told her my good news. By the time I got out of there to Elaine, it was about 15:15 pm. So it was LONG!! I then called my Mom and told her I didn’t get the visa, but could pick it up the next day, I still remember the silence then the small “why?”, and then me screaming that I could get it the next day!! Haha… Dustin was also very excited and happy. I think I had the most Facebook likes on my status that day, that I’ve EVER had since getting Facebook. Lol

My Green Approval Slip...

When I went back on Friday to pick up my visa, I sat there for two hours, and then was told my visa still wasn't ready. Why they didn't tell me when I got there, I still don't know. So at 4 pm I walked out of there angry and with no passport and visa. I then proceeded to call everyday twice a day from Monday onwards, and every time I got the same response "it still hasn't been printed" and they didn't know why. Finally on Friday (my last day in JHB) morning at 8 am I received a phone call from the Embassy, and the guy asked me if I have a twin, I said yes. He then asked me is it Hayley, I said yes, he then told me that he thinks that is why my visa was taking so long to get through and be approved for printing, because we both have applied for visas and they had to verify our fingerprints, because they were so similar, so I asked him if we have the same fingerprints, and he replied saying apparently yes. He then said he would tell the officer and then call me back to tell me if the visa would be ready to be picked up before I leave. I called my Mom to tell her, she couldn't stop laughing at them saying we have similar fingerprints, because everyone's fingerprints are different, and we've never had that problem before. Then at 8:25 am, the Embassy called again to tell me that the visa was ready and that I could pick it up at 11 am. Elaine and I were so excited and happy that finally, on my last day in JHB my process had finally finished :)

So we went to the embassy to pick up my visa - it took less than 10 minutes this time. I got a "Welcome to America" brochure with a sealed envelope to give to the POE officer, and my passport with my visa - YAY!!